


Off Duty

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Federal Agents, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Police, BAMF Tony Stark, Established Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Smut, POV Steve Rogers, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Secret Identity, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Undercover, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 06:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16112525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: Steve and Bucky go undercover as strippers to catch a human trafficker, only to meet someone they never would have expected.Doing his best not to trip in spindly heels, Steve strode toward the pole in the middle of the stage. The worst part of having to parade around in nothing but a thong, he decided, was that he didn’t even get to keep the bills the clientele stuck inside.





	Off Duty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bill_Longbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/gifts).



> For the amazing Bill_Longbow! Happy birthday, hun!
> 
> Writing is mine. Bucky picture is by araydre, and Steve was done by FancyDragonQueen!

“Remind me to never accept another assignment from Captain Fury ever again,” Steve mumbled grumpily under his breath, tugging at the red thong that was valiantly attempting to crawl its way up his ass.

Beside him, Bucky snickered and reached out to ruffle Steve’s hair, an annoying habit he’d picked up when they were teens and he’d started outgrowing Steve and that he hadn’t ever stopped. (Not that he’d shown any inclination to.) It probably didn’t help that Steve still only came up to his shoulder.

“I would, but I don’t think it would do a damn thing to stop you from jumping up and volunteering like the eager little beaver you are,” Bucky teased. “Besides, this assignment is _awesome_.”

Steve glared in the face of Bucky’s wide grin.

 

 

“For you, maybe,” he grumbled. “You’re like Brooklyn’s very own Magic Mike.”

Bucky waggled his eyebrows.

“And _you_ are up on stage. Go get ‘em, tiger!”

He shoved Steve forward lightly and out into the bright lights, giving Steve barely enough time to paste a smile on his face. Doing his best not to trip in spindly heels, Steve strode toward the pole in the middle of the stage. The worst part of having to parade around in nothing but a thong, he decided, was that he didn’t even get to keep the bills the clientele stuck inside.

.

Steve had just finished up his shift and was waiting for Bucky to get through his last dance when it happened. He’d gotten changed into clothes that at least gave him a sense of modesty, but his undercover role meant it was tight, ripped jeans and a loose long-sleeved shirt that he’d stolen from Bucky instead of his preferred dress pants and button up. He’d stepped out on the floor to watch as Bucky twirled around the pole, muscles glistening in the dim lights and all in all looking damn good.

 

 

“Hey,” someone spoke up from beside him, “you look thirsty. Could I buy you a drink?”

Steve glanced over at the man who’d come up beside him, feeling irritated by the interruption, only to do a double take. The brunet man was taller than him, which wasn’t hard, but still a bit on the shorter side. He was also _gorgeous_ , with warm whiskey-colored eyes. He had one hand stuck in the pocket of his dress jacket, which hung open over a graphic t-shirt and jeans. His smile was soft and open, not as predatory as the ones Steve had gotten used to seeing around here. Still, Steve knew what he was after. It wasn’t like anyone came to a strip club, even a nice one like this, because they wanted to take someone out to dinner and have a pleasant conversation.

“I’m off-duty,” he replied tersely as he turned his attention back to Bucky, trying to dissuade any further interaction. “I’m just waiting for my friend to get done so we can leave.”

“Oh,” the man said, sounding a bit dejected by Steve’s cold tone but quickly rallying. “The guy on stage? Are you two…”

Steve rolled his eyes so hard it actually hurt. He couldn’t count the number of times people had assumed he and Bucky were an item, even among the other police officers they worked with. They didn’t bring their relationship to the precinct, but everyone just seemed to _know_ anyway.

“And that’s any of your business, how?” he snapped, his famously thin patience worn even thinner by his desire to _go home_.

Slender, calloused hands instantly went up in the universal sign for ‘I mean no harm’ and the guy gave an easy smile. It made him look even more attractive and Steve kind of hated him for it.

“Just trying to figure out if your taken, is all. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

“Well, then maybe you should worry about whether or not I’m interested, because right now you’re stepping on mine.”

“Fair enough,” the man said, finally, _finally_ backing off. “Sorry for wasting your time. I didn’t mean any disrespect, just wanted to say hello to a pretty face.”

He was gone before Steve could say anything else, leaving the space behind him feeling oddly empty. Steve shook the encounter off. The last thing he needed to be dealing with was some asshole trying to get laid while he was trying to keep an eye out for the head of the human trafficking ring he and Bucky had been _sent here for_. There was no time for distractions. They were here in a joint operation with the CIA, for Heaven’s sake. Agent Coulson was keeping a very close eye on things.

Eight minutes later, Steve was kicking himself for his sharp tongue that’d sent the man away.

Bucky had just been leaving the stage when Johann Schmidt came striding in, flanked by four bodyguards. Steve perked up immediately and tried to tail them as they headed for the VIP lounge, but he wasn’t exactly inconspicuous at the moment. He wasn’t dressed as a dancer serving clients, but he didn’t look like a client, either. He didn’t have any choice but to keep his distance and hope that Bucky had seen the men before his exit. If Bucky came out still in his work clothes, he could approach the group looking to give lap dances and hopefully get some valuable intel.

Unfortunately, before the group reached the VIP lounge, the guy Steve had sent away stepped out in front of them, clearly not paying attention, and collided with Schmidt, spilling his drink all over them both.

“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry! That was totally my fault. Here, let me-“

He took his little cocktail napkin and started patting Schmidt down, a bit more than was necessary, in Steve’s opinion. Schmidt gave him a harsh shove, sending him stumbling backward before falling on his ass.

“Get off me!”

The bodyguards immediately closed ranks, one stepping forward threateningly and sending the man cowering back more.

“Okay, okay! Just trying to help. Please don’t punch me. I’m too pretty to get my nose broken!”

Steve saw the moment Schmidt paused and dread curled in his stomach.

“Yes,” Schmidt drawled thoughtfully. “You _are_ rather pretty, aren’t you?”

He waved his guards away and stepped up to the man, reaching out a hand to pull him to his feet. _His_ grin was _all_ predatory sharpness.

“I’m sorry for knocking into you,” the man apologized again, looking nervous as he accepted the help back up.

“Nonsense. You must forgive my brash reaction. I rather liked this shirt, you see, but it will wash out. All is well. Come, let me buy you another drink to replace the one you lost.”

Fear pounded through Steve’s veins, though not for himself. He knew what would be in that drink, the same drug Schmidt used to dope up all his victims. He’d spirit this guy off to some hell hole and sell him as punishment. Steve had to stop it. The guy may have been some asshole trying to hit on a stripper, but that didn’t mean he deserved to get sold off on the black market.

“Hey!” he called out as he bounded over, pasting a vapid smile onto his face and wrapping himself around the guy’s free arm. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, hun! I’m all clocked out. You ready to head home?”

Steve rose up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to the stunned man’s cheek, sending up a silent prayer to any of the saints who might be listening that he played along.

“Uh,” the man blinked at him for a moment before seeming to catch up with his sudden appearance. “Yes! It seems I’ve finished my drink anyway,” he said with a grin, before turning back to Schmidt, who was still holding his other hand. “I’m afraid I’ll have to do a rain check on that, it seems. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Schmidt’s eyes narrowed as he glanced back and forth between them. He slowly released the man’s hand, drawing himself up and scowling just slightly.

“You know,” he began slowly, “I have not come by this club for several weeks, despite my fondness for it. There were rumors, you see, that there was a _plant_ , a worm that had wiggled its way in with the intent of destabilizing my business.”

His eyes came to land on Steve, burning with anger and a hint of what could only be madness. _Shit._

“I think I just found my worm.”

Quick as a flash, headless of the people filling the room, Schmidt pulled a gun from his waistband and leveled it at Steve.

“Goodbye,” he said with a cruel grin as he pulled the trigger.

A resounding crack exploded through the air as something heavy shoved Steve to the side, knocking him to the ground. He scrambled back for cover as the room flew into a panicked uproar and everyone started scrambling for the exit. Steve just barely managed to glimpse Schmidt’s guards carving a path to the exit. Doing his best not to be trampled by the panicked crowd, Steve crawled across the floor to where the man lay prone, chest heaving and hands scrambling across the floor. The blood on his shirt was instantly noticeable and Steve wanted to scream with frustration.

“Stevie!” Bucky’s voice rang through the room, over the din and the crowd started to clear out. “Stevie!”

It would have been impossible not to hear the fear in his voice.

“Here!” Steve called back. “We have a civilian down! Schmidt’s getting away!”

A bloody hand weakly grabbed Steve’s wrist, drawing his attention as Bucky appeared over them, gun in hand and looking around for enemies.

“M-my front pocket,” the man managed to get out past bloodied lips. “I-I managed to plant a tracker. Don’t l-let him get awa…”

He passed out before he could finish, leaving Steve staring down at him in shock. He didn’t have time to dwell on what the fuck any of this meant, though, and instead hurried to search the man’s pockets. He came up with a small tracking receiver and a _CIA badge._ There was a gun in a hidden shoulder holster. Sweet, holy fuck.

He shoved the tracker at Bucky as he pulled the gun free.

“Go!” he demanded, and Bucky was off.

Steve stayed hot on his heels, pulling his phone from his pocket as he went and pressing the speed dial for the emergency response team. They were going to catch Schmidt and get an ambulance here to save the agent and then Steve was going to figure out what the hell had just happened.

.

Steve knocked tentatively on the hospital room’s door, peeking through the open area to see if the room’s occupant was awake. Agent Stark’s surprised expression morphed into a big grin as he spotted Steve, Bucky just past his shoulder carrying the bundle of ‘Get Well Soon’ balloons they’d brought along.

“Hey! I heard you guys caught up with Schmidt. Good work.”

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Bucky said, beaming as he strolled into the room like he owned the place and tied the balloons to the foot of Stark’s bed. “That tracker was the only reason we were able to keep up and bring him in. Plus, you know, you saved Stevie’s life.”

Steve valiantly ignored the embarrassed flush that stained his cheeks red.

“I never got to properly thank you for that,” he spoke up, moving to Stark’s bedside. “Thank you. It was incredibly brave of you to do that.”

Stark started to shrug, only to stop short with a wince that he quickly tried to cover up.

“Pretty sure you were trying to save me first,” he brushed the thanks aside. “I’ve read your reports. It might’ve been a bit reckless, but you were trying to save a civilian in the line of fire. That’s what this job is all about.”

If anything, Steve only flushed darker. He could see Bucky’s smug grin out of the corner of his eye and resolved to stick the bastard with the paperwork for their next case. It would serve him right.

“Right. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I wouldn’t have brushed you off if I’d known you were an agent.”

Stark let out a bark of laughter.

“Not being obviously an agent was kind of the point,” he said, humor lighting up with face and making him even more handsome. “The CIA got new information that meant we needed to move on Schmidt immediately, without the chance of being able to inform you two of it. I was only trying to warn you ahead of time, which was why I even had my badge on me at all. It shouldn’t have been strictly necessary.”

“Except that Stevie here can’t keep his nose out of anything, once he smells trouble,” Bucky cut in with a grin.

He even had the audacity to go ahead and perch his ass on the other side of Stark’s bed as he said it.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Oh, trust me,” Bucky said, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial stage whisper, “it is. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been dragged into an impromptu detainment that doesn’t have anything to do with our assigned case because of this guy.”

“Well, I _have_ heard that you two have the highest closing rate for cases in your precinct.”

Bucky snorted indelicately.

“That’s just insulting. We have the highest closing rate in the _city_ , thank you very much.”

“Oh, well, excuse me. I can see you’re quite modest, too.”

“The modestest,” Bucky paused. “Most modest?”

Steve buried his face in his hands and prayed the ground would open beneath his feet and swallow him whole.

“ _Anyway_ ,” he cut in before his partner could make any more of a mess of things, “We just wanted to come by to thank you and to see how you were recovering.”

“Ah, well, I didn’t lose any limbs and I’m still alive, so…” Stark gave them another grin and he really needed to stop doing that. Steve’s heart wasn’t going to be able to take it for much longer. “I’m stuck here about another week and the Dr. Strange said I won’t be able to go back to work for at least two months. I’m mostly just bracing myself for a whole lot of downtime and boredom.”

Bucky reached out to cover one of Stark’s hands with his own and Steve knew, he _knew_ , what his partner was about to pull. Despite the myriad of possible consequences, he also couldn’t bring himself to do anything to stop it.

“Maybe you could let us help you with that,” Bucky drawled with his signature seductive smirk. “Let us take you out to dinner once you’re out of lock up here.”

Stark blinked in surprise, gaze darting down to Bucky’s hand, over to Steve, and then back to Bucky.

“Uh… Are you implying what I think you’re implying or are these pain meds finally getting to me?”

“There’s no pressure,” Steve spoke up, drawing Stark’s bewildered attention back to himself. “But, if you’re interested, then yeah. We’d like the opportunity to take you out for an evening. We can see how we all get along when we actually know who each other are and go from there.”

His heart pounded in his chest, beating against his chest. He was trying not to get his hopes up too much. Even if they were lucky and Stark was gay, it was a whole other ball game to sign up to date two people instead of one. Neither he or Bucky moved a muscle as Stark seemed to take a moment to process this unexpected turn of events.

“Okay. But I’ve got one condition.”

“Yeah, sure. Absolutely. What is it?”

Stark grinned.

“The two of you wear your thongs from the strip club.”


End file.
